Republican 2nd Congressional District candidate Aubrey Dunn Jr. loaned his campaign another $150,000 on Friday and triggered the Millionaire’s Amendment that triples contribution limits for his opponents.
Dunn has now loaned his campaign $452,435.17, according to Federal Election Commission records. Any U.S. House candidate who loans his campaign more than $350,000 triples contribution limits for his opponents from $2,300 to $6,900.
Dunn’s newest loan further complicates a wide-open primary that has seen the National Association of Realtors Political Action Committee spend almost $600,000 to promote Monty Newman, who has also loaned his own campaign $100,000. Another candidate in the GOP primary, Greg Sowards, has loaned his campaign $325,000, and candidate Ed Tinsley has loaned $200,000 to his campaign.
The final candidate in the GOP primary, C. Earl Greer, has loaned his campaign just under $28,000.
Tinsley and Newman have also raised big money from outside sources, with Tinsley having raised a little more than $413,000 as of March 31 and Newman having raised a little more than $195,000 by that date. Both have used connections to raise that cash – Tinsley is a past president of the National Restaurant Association and Newman is past vice president of the Realtors’ group – and both will likely be able to take advantage of the increased contribution limits because of those connections.
Dunn, meanwhile, had raised $102,347 from outside contributors as of March 31.
The race has become increasingly negative in recent weeks. A source with the Dunn campaign who refused to be identified explained the newest loan by saying Dunn and his wife “are unwilling to stand by as
Dunn is the third House candidate from
Update, May 19, 10:40 p.m.
In a news release, Tinsley campaign spokesman Christopher Maloney said the 2nd Congressional District seat “is not for sale.”
“It is no surprise that Aubrey Dunn Jr. has decided to double-down with his money on his flailing campaign strategy,” he said. “With Aubrey Dunn, Jr., New Mexico Republicans have a wolf in sheep’s clothing. The Dunn campaign is having trouble funding their message because voters see through the empty rhetoric for what the candidate truly is: a liberal Democrat candidate who espouses liberal tendencies. No amount of personal wealth will help to make a negative campaign message resonate with the voters of the 2nd Congressional District.”
A prior version of this posting incorrectly stated that Tinsley had given his campaign $150,000.